Transparent-tile structure.



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F. L. KEPPLER. TRANSPARENT TILE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 19H. 1,165,417. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

' the edge of its depending rim portion with thecurved surfaces Q,

FREDERICK L. KEPPLER, OF BER-LIN, GERD'IANY.

, TRANSPARENT-TILE STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed July 12, 1911. Serial No. 638,078.

To allaohont it may concern:

Belt known that I, FREDERICK L. KnrrLEn, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented .a certain new and useful Improvement in Transparent-Tile Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to translucent 'tile structures, and particularly to means for assembling the parts and for obscuring, minimizing or concealing the opaque beams whereby the units are supported.

The invention is applicable to a large variety of structures, particularly sidewalk lights.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a cross section of a sidewalk light structure; Fig. 2 a plan view of same with variations; Fig. 3 a cross section through a modification.

Like parts are indicated by the same lettors in each of the figures.

A, A' are supporting frames forming the outer parts of the permanent structure; 13,13

are pavement units recessed at 1). Each unit is provided at E around its edge and with a groove for the purpose of receiving the concrete grid members F, F, which are reinforced by the rodsor wires G. The pavement units are separated along their upper edges for the introduction of the concrete and are in substantial contact along their lower edges, each being substantially rectangular at top and bottom. The units are separated at their upper edges sufiiciently to permit the introduction of the reinforcment rods from above and such rods are wholly embedded in the concrete. The units may be provided with the lens formation J, or ornamental figure work K on the upper surfaces. The reflecting surfaces N and O of the units are curved and these curves are set at an angle to each other and they outwardly converge as indicated.

At the lower edges the units are provided Q. Each unit thus has a rim projecting around its lower portion and thus the grid members are inclosed by curved outwardly converging surfaces. I speak of these surfaces as curved, meaning, of course, thereby to include-any considerable number of faces set to give the general outline 'of a curve.

In the detail shown in Fig. 3, His an invention is,

overlapping translucent material formed on one of the units and lapping on the joint between them. This makes an inclosing convex surface below the rim as alternative to the inclosingconcave surface formed by the curved surfaces Q, Q. The corrugations S,

S on the curved reflecting faces form the subject matter of another application.

T 13 a plate which may be used to close the recess in the unit so as to form a hollow unit.

U, U is an elastic or cushion portion which may be interposed between the units.

The translucent units are substantially in contact at their lower margins. In practice when they are assembled, it is quite common to introduce a thin sheet of paper or the like and subsequently this is, of course, removed or brushed out, but stantial contact in the meaning of that expression as I have used it.

The use, operation and importance of my invention are as follows: The difficulty with many such structures is that they are arranged so that their parts must be assembled and shipped, delivered and put in place as a whole or as a unit. One object of my'invention is to provide means whereby the several parts may be convenientlyasscmbled on the job and in the opening they are intended to close. In most of such structures the opaque concrete is not sufficiently protected and there are frequent places where the portion of the translucent unit interposed between the grid and the eye is such as to permit the eye to see the surfaces of the grid through the translucent unit. Another object of my therefore, to prevent this or greatly minimize it so that practically all the light is reflected at every point where the eye is likely to look toward the grid, with the result that the grid is invisible except as to vague and shadowy suggestions of its outline.

I claim.

1. A structure consisting of a series of assembled translucent unlts substantially in I contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper ma-rgins with opposed oppositely depressed edges, each unit provided with rims outwardly projecting from one side and each bounded by converging surfaces in combination with a grid consisting of concrete filling the space between the unit edges and reinforcing bars embedded in the concrete.

they are still in sub-' Y posed oppositely provided with rims outwardly contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper margins with opdepressed edges, each unit provided with rims outwardly projecting from one side and each bounded by converging curved surfaces in combination with a grid consisting of concrete filling the space between the unit edges and reinforcing bars embedded in the concrete.

A- A structure consisting of a series of assembled translucent units substantially in contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper margins with opposed oppositely depressed edges,- each unit projecting from one side andeach bounded by outwardly converging curved surfaces in combination with a grid consisting of concrete filling the space between the unit edges and reinforcing 5. A structure consisting of a series of assembled translucent units substantially in contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper margins with opposed oppositely depressed edges, each unit provided with rims outwardly projecting from one side and each bounded by converging surfaces in combination with a grid consisting of concrete filling the space between the unit edges and reinforcing bars embedded in the concrete, said rims provided with curved surfaces at their lower ends beneath the lower edges of the concrete.

6. A structure consisting of a series of posed oppositely bars embedded in the concrete.

assembled translucent units substantially in contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper margins with opposed oppositely depressed edges, each unit provided with rims outwardly projecting provided with curved surfaces at their lower ends beneath the lower edges of the concrete; 7 v 4 7 7. A structureconsisting of a series of assembled translucent units substanially in contact about their lower margins and separated about their upp'er'inargins with op provided with rims outwardly projecting from one side and each bounded by con-v verging curvedsurfaces in combination with a grid consisting of concrete fillingthe space between the unit edges and reinforc-i 111g bars embedded in the concrete, said rims provided with curved surfaces at their lower ends beneath the lower edges of-the' concrete.

8. A structure consisting of a series of assembled translucent units substantially in contact about their lower margins and separated about their upper margins with op posed oppositely depressed edges, each unit provided .with' rims outwardly projecting from one side and eachbounded by outwardly -converging curved surfaces 'in' combinationwith a grid consisting of concrete filling the space between the imit edges and reinforcing 7 bars embedded in the concrete, said rims provided with curved surfaces at their, lowerends v beneathv the lower edgesv of the concrete.

July 7, 1911. p 7 runnnnrcr; L; KEPPLER.

lVitnesses: Y

FnANoIs W. PARKER, Jr, MINNIE M. LINDEMAN,

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of ratentsr Washington, I). Q.

depressed edges, each unit 65 

